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Layanan Informasi Aktual
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Hot Spot : Rabu, 6 April 2005
West Papua : Papuan Militias 'Getting Aid Money'
# Received on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 from SBS News :
http://news.sbs.com.au/dateline/index.php?page=archive&daysum=2005-03-16
West Papua Militia
These days, most Australians are well and truly aware of the suffering that
the people of East Timor went through before they finally gained their
independence from Indonesia back in 1999. Much of the repression and
violence in that conflict, of course, was attributed to militia groups
formed and backed by the Indonesian military. Now, it seems that history
might be repeating itself in the Indonesian province of West Papua - or
Irian Jaya - where the locals are also after independence from Jakarta. Of
late, there have been serious claims that Indonesian army-backed militias
and Islamic extremists are working in tandem, provoking some damning
allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide. The report you are about to
see has been put together here at Dateline, by Nick Lazaredes, from footage
smuggled out of West Papua by human rights investigators. We should warn
you, though, that you could find some of the pictures disturbing.
REPORTER: Nick Lazaredes
In late January, human rights investigators on a secret mission to West
Papua's Central Highlands stumbled into a scene of misery and death. This
11-month-old girl had just died from malnutrition and exposure - a victim of
West Papua's hidden and largely unreported war.
Questioning these frightened refugees, investigators discovered that
thousands more like them were living rough in the jungle.
MAN (Translation): They are at the foot of the mountains. They still haven't
gone home they are dying of disease. There's no medicine. It's difficult to
get treatment.
This part of West Papua is under Indonesian military control. It's their
base for active operations against rebels from the OPM - known as the Free
Papua Movement. But their military campaign against the rebels has caused
thousands of refugees to flee after their villages were ransacked and houses
burned.
WASIOR HUMAN RIGHTS VICTIM - MAN (Translation): So many of us have become
victims. So we want independence now. We can't stand it anymore, living
under Indonesia.
These photos, also collected by human rights investigators, show the
aftermath of an attack on the remote highland village of Wunin just three
weeks ago - elderly villagers murdered and schools and churches burnt to the
ground. In the past six months, investigators have documented scores of
deaths and acts of violence attributed to the Indonesian military. Sources
in West Papua say that as a result, throughout the entire province, between
15,000 and 20,000 people have been forced from their homes.
REVEREND SOFYAN YOMAN, WEST PAPUAN BAPTIST MINISTER (Translation): In Puncak
Jaya, there are about 6000 people, over 6300 people in the jungle because
their homes were burnt down by Indonesian soldiers. The Indonesian soldiers
shot their pigs and sold them to restaurants for money.
West Papuan Baptist minister Sofyan Yoman is visiting Australia to raise
awareness about the bloodshed in his homeland. Today this small Baptist
congregation in Sydney is getting a frightening picture, and according to
Reverend Yoman, that includes genocide.
REVEREND SOFYAN YOMAN: Indonesian Government always attack, arrest and kill
West Papuan people and imprison them, torture them and continue systematic
killing. I think it's a national program, Indonesian national program, a
genocide of indigenous people or local people.
Members of Sofyan Yoman's Baptist congregation throughout West Papua have
filed constant reports of human rights abuses, arson and unlawful killings
by the Indonesian military. He's also uncovered widespread corruption. A
report he's prepared for the Baptist church reveals that the Indonesian
military has siphoned off special autonomy funding set up for West Papua,
some of which originates from international donors.
He claims that funds meant for humanitarian purposes have been diverted and
used by the military in its campaign of violence and ethnic cleansing in the
Highlands.
REVEREND SOFYAN YOMAN (Translation): The special autonomy funds are being
used for military operations. According to the information I have obtained
in the field, the total amount is two and a half billion rupiah.
Reverend Yoman believes that key international aid donors to Indonesia, like
Australia, should pressure Jakarta to investigate his corruption claims. He
also says that human rights officials should be allowed to visit areas where
recent military atrocities have occurred.
REVEREND SOFYAN YOMAN(Translation): The Regional Government Secretary has
announced that there's about 19 billion in funds that has been used to pay
for medicine and also for food, but the fact is people are starving and
dying in the jungle. Where is the money going?
Dateline has obtained video-tape testimony from West Papua which paints an
even darker picture about what the Indonesian military might be doing with
the funds allegedly siphoned off from the autonomy fund. Like East Timor, it
appears that the Indonesian military, or TNI, is funding and training
militia groups.
MILITIA INFORMANT (Translation): I can tell you here and now that in
Manokwari the military are establishing and organising militias. which are
known as Satgas Merah Putih. They have established two bases in Manokwari,
in transmigrant areas where there many Muslims.
According to this man, who has given evidence to human rights groups and
says he has been targeted for assassination as a result, the militia are
being armed in preparation for an attack.
MILITIA INFORMANT (Translation): Large numbers of bullets in boxes are being
stored in workshops in food stalls and by the road. What is the motive or
reason for this? So I am convinced that the military is organising militias
in these two places and at some stage these militias will become a force
used to attack the community as happened in East Timor. This is very
worrying to me.
Reverend Sofyan Yoman also believes that the militia is being readied for an
attack on Christian West Papuans.
REVEREND SOFYAN YOMAN (Translation): It's not just possible, it's probable.
Every day six boatloads of Muslims arrive in Papua. Every day six white
boats, which were purchased with special autonomy funds, bring Indonesian
Muslims to Papua, bring Indonesian soldiers to Papua.
As well as the six white ships referred to by Reverend Yoman, regular
passenger ferries like this bring large numbers of Muslim settlers to West
Papua. Sofyan Yoman says there's an organised policy to resettle large
numbers of Muslim immigrants in the territory to dilute its Christian
majority. Worse still, Islamic extremists are now targeting the province.
LASKAR JIHAD INFILTRATOR (Translation): They spread rumours in particular
locations to frighten people. And the third thing - they spread rumours
concerning religious matters so as to create religious conflict.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, this human rights activist told Dateline
the story of how he infiltrated the West Papuan ranks of the extremist group
Laskar Jihad.
LASKAR JIHAD INFILTRATOR (Translation): The sort of activities Laskar Jihad
were involved in, in Sorong, were firstly, intimidating and killing Papuans
who were involved in the Papua Independence Movement, and secondly,
spreading rumours in various places, to create fear.
Laskar Jihad has a violent past. In July 2000, Laskar Jihad fighters
attacked Christians on the island of Ambon. After the Bali bombing the
Indonesian Government claimed Laskar Jihad had been disbanded, but according
to this human rights infiltrator, West Papua already has up to 500 dedicated
followers in several training camps. As part of his induction into the
Laskar Jihad group in the West Papuan city of Sorong, he was schooled at the
local mosque in the group's objectives and methods.
LASKAR JIHAD INFILTRATOR (Translation): The truth of Islam had to be made
concrete so we had to wage jihad against those who wanted to destroy the
Islamist community, both its people and its places of worship. We were
taught how to monitor the strength of the religious groups. In particular in
Sorong, we monitored places of worship. I don't just mean Christian places
of worship but also those of other religions. We were also told to determine
the number of neighbourhoods in Sorong where the majority of inhabitants
were Christian.
Even more disturbing - the Laskar Jihad infiltrator told Dateline that his
religious teachers would openly discuss their allegiance to al-Qa'ida at the
Sorong Mosque. Although we have no way to verify his claims, he says
al-Qa'ida received regular reports of the group's activities in West Papua.
LASKAR JIHAD INFILTRATOR (Translation): Ultimately their umbrella
organisation was the al-Qa'ida network. Because Haji Hassan ... I mean Haji
Ahmad once said in the Mujaheddin mosque, our network, the Laskar Jihad in
Sorong all its activities would be reported to al-Qa'ida.
If Indonesia's security forces needed a trigger to crack down further in
West Papua, they were handed one in February. Rallying in the streets of
Manikwaru, West Papuan political and tribal leaders demanded an end to the
ethnic cleansing and called for United Nations intervention. In an 11-point
declaration, they gave Jakarta six months to negotiate a new deal for the
province.
CROWD (Translation): Today we demand Papuan Independence, Independence full
stop.
With so little international attention directed at their plight, a speedy
political solution seems unlikely. The US appears unconcerned about the
Indonesian military operations in West Papua and their arming of a civilian
militia. Just weeks ago, they reinstated their military training links with
Indonesia. According to Reverend Yoman, it's a troubling development,
because the sinister hand of the Indonesian army seems to be once again
preparing for a bloody religious confrontation.
REVEREND SOFYAN YOMAN(Translation): Wherever there are Indonesian soldiers,
the militia and the jihadists are there too. They are inseparable. They are
very close.
And the Australian Government is also being criticised for appearing to turn
a blind eye to its northern neighbour.
MILITIA INFORMANT (Translation): Why did the Australians save one Melanesian
people, the East Timorese but they have done nothing to save us. We very
much hope for help, especially, as I said before, because of the weapons
being brought in and the militias being formed. It's all a time bomb. At
some time we Papuans are going to start killing each other, because they are
preparing Papuans to confront Papuans.
